A New Face at The Graduate College: Meet Associate Dean Judd Ruggill

Get to know AD Ruggill, the new Associate Dean of Academic Services for the Graduate College, who also serves as a professor in and is the founding head of the Department of Public and Applied Humanities. This article offers a glimpse into his career path, explores what drew him to his current role in the Graduate College, and shares his perspective on the future of academic services.

A Circuitous Career Journey

AD Ruggill described his career journey as " circuitous and unexpected," Despite being a Tucson native, his undergraduate experience began at the scenic University of California, Santa Cruz, a campus nestled in a redwood forest overlooking the ocean. After graduating, he returned to Tucson and explored various career paths before choosing to pursue graduate studies.

While exploring local graduate programs, he became interested in the Comparative Cultural & Literary Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) at the University of Arizona. He earned both a master’s and PhD in the program. However, finding a job after defending his dissertation in 2004 proved challenging. While not for a lack of trying, it took five years before he landed his first tenure-track job at Arizona State University (ASU) in 2008. He spent eight years at ASU as a faculty member in the School of Social & Behavioral Science and as a member of the graduate faculty of the Department of English, the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. AD Ruggill then returned to his hometown of Tucson in 2016. Initially, he taught in the Department of Africana Studies before becoming the founding head of the Department of Public and Applied Humanities. He spent eight years in that role, focusing on departmental growth and working with faculty and staff to support students. 

Professor Ruggill emphasized that this unexpected and challenging path ultimately fostered resilience and adaptability. The difficulty in finding immediate employment after graduation taught him valuable skills in persevering through professional obstacles. He believes this kind of journey often mirrors the way knowledge production happens, involving both intentional and accidental discoveries. 

Drawn to University-Wide Service

Several factors attracted AD Ruggill to the position of Associate Dean of Academic Services. A key motivation was the opportunity for university-wide service, allowing him to collaborate with individuals across all colleges and graduate programs. The day-to-day work of the position includes tracking student progress, maintaining institutional and accreditation compliance, supporting graduate program directors and coordinators, helping students navigate their academic journey, working with programs looking to develop certificates or new graduate programs, and writing policy around student support protocol. Put simply, the position is focused on supporting graduate students and the people that support them in their studies and research. The cross-disciplinary nature of this work is also attractive to AD Ruggill. During his time as a Professor and Department Head at the University he has maintained a strong curiosity about the diverse and fascinating work being conducted across campus, and he is excited to learn more about all the research happening while serving graduate programs across the University.

He also sees the role’s capacity to support graduate students in their research as fundamentally important to the university's research enterprise, recognizing that graduate students play a vital role in nearly every lab and research project. He enjoys collaborative problem-solving, and he looks forward to working with directors of graduate studies, department heads, and other administrators to support graduate education. Ultimately, he is motivated by the chance to help students become the best they can be and prepare them for their careers. He described the position as ideal for someone who is curious and wants to engage with the broad spectrum of academic work at the university.

Looking Ahead in Academic Services 

As for what opportunities and challenges he sees on the horizon, AD Ruggill identified growing graduate programs as both a challenge and an opportunity, noting the university's interest in expansion at a time of fiscal uncertainty. He also highlighted navigating technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), as a significant area to consider. He recognizes that AI has already begun to transform how students learn and work, presenting both opportunities and challenges for academic services. Furthermore, he sees challenges and opportunities arising from global university expansion and technological innovation, including the complexities of supporting multiple campuses with different cultural approaches and technical constraints. He emphasized the need for thoughtful integration of technology while maintaining academic rigor and understanding.

When asked about his guiding philosophy, AD Ruggill points to an unexpected source of inspiration: the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap. He embraces the motto of the keyboardist of the movie’s namesake band, Viv Savage: "Have a good time all the time." He strives to be creative, exploratory, and experimental in his work and at home, finding opportunities to be playful and bring energy to even the most challenging situations. Aligned with his philosophy rooted in finding and creating fun in all aspects of life, AD Ruggill says readers might be surprised to learn that he can ride a unicycle and even used to ride a mountain unicycle! Having a good time all the time is an apt and all-encompassing mantra for the new Associate Dean. 

With his wide-ranging experience, innovative mindset, and student-first philosophy, Judd Ruggill is ready to help shape the future of graduate education at the University of Arizona.